1. Field of Invention
The subject invention is generally related to nightsticks, batons and intermediate force weapons and is specifically directed to a kit for modifying an expandable baton for any of a plurality of multiple uses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nightsticks and batons are well known and have gained widespread acceptance as intermediate force weapons for use by law enforcement personnel. One of the best known intermediate force weapons is the ASP Expandable Baton manufactured by Armament Systems and Procedures, the assignee of the subject application. Typically, the ASP Baton includes three telescoping sections, the outer largest section defining a handle adapted for receiving and nesting the remaining sections when the baton is in a collapsed position. In early batons, the tip was permanently secured by first installing the threaded tip and then drilling a hole through the baton and tip and inserting a lock pin through the hole. The insertion of a lock pin prevented the tip from both rotation and axial movement. In order to remove the tip, the baton had to be returned to the manufacturer to have the pin knocked out. Thus, this method of permanently securing the tip was expensive in manufacturing, removal and replacement. It has been desirable for an expandable baton to have a replaceable tip which can be easily replaced if the tip of an officer's baton becomes scarred during use in breaking windows or similar activities. Also, it may be necessary to remove the tip in order to disassemble a baton that needs to be repaired.
While it is desirable for law enforcement personnel to have an expandable baton with a replaceable tip, it is extremely important, for the safety of the officer and others, to ensure that the replaceable tip would not accidently separate from the baton, particularly after repeated uses. The permanent prior art tip does this. Other prior art methods for increasing the resistance to prevent the tip from accidently separating from the baton include the use of a nylon insert plug or patch at the base of the tip. However, such methods are extremely expensive and require secondary manufacturing operations. Although the use of an adhesive is also possible, the adhesive cannot be broken with finger pressure and often requires an auxiliary activity such as heating the tip to break the adhesive. Further, once the adhesive is broken, the adhesive must be reapplied in order to reseal the tip in place.
In addition to nightsticks or batons, law enforcement personnel are required to carry or have available weapons for other uses such as riot control and searches. For example, law enforcement personnel must carry or have access to riot batons and various search tools. Typically, law enforcement personnel carry intermediate force batons, portable two-way radios, firearms, ammunition, handcuffs, chemical irritants and flashlights. Thus, the addition of riot control and search equipment would undesirably increase the large amount of equipment already carried on the person.
In a riot situation, an officer generally uses a riot baton consisting of a long rod which the officer holds in front of himself for crowd control. While prior art riot batons maybe effective, they are not suitable for day-to-day police duty use. In fact, the only use for such a rod is for riots. Further, traditional riot batons are made in a standard size and it is not possible to vary the length. Because officers vary dramatically in size, the prior art riot batons may not be the appropriate length for some officers. Thus, prior art riot batons are difficult for officers to carry with them and cannot be customized to fit an individual officer.
When a search of a premises must be conducted, extendable tools are often used to search above doors and other out of reach areas. While expandable batons may be used to conduct searches of out of reach areas, a typical expandable baton includes a spherical tip and is not designed to reach into extremely small or high places. Further, although an officer searching with a baton may avoid the danger of being cut by hidden razor blades, needles or other edged weapons, a baton search may fail to reveal hidden weapons if the baton does not come into direct contact with them.
In a body search, short sticks, such as the ASP Keyring Baton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,072, have been used as search tools by law enforcement personnel for a number of years. In fact, law enforcement personnel may be required to use such a search tool over searches involving female subjects, especially where a male officer is searching a female subject. By rubbing the tool over the pocket and clothing of individuals, it is possible for officers to literally "feel" for hidden weapons and "hear" contact with weapons without the danger of being cut by razor blades, needles, fish hooks or edged weapons that may be hidden on the individual. With the dramatic increase in hepatitis and HIV, law enforcement personnel who stick their hand into a subject's pocket are engaged in a potentially lethal activity. Thus, because of the dangers involved in conducting premises or individual searches, law enforcement personnel must have appropriate search tools and may find it necessary to carry additional equipment for retrieving hypodermic needles, fish hooks, razor blades and edged weapons once they are detected.
Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive means for preventing a removable tip from accidently disengaging from an expandable baton while still allowing the tip to be easily removed and installed a number of times. There is also a need for a variety of tools which may, where desired, be offered in a kit form for modifying a single purpose intermediate force weapon for multiple uses in order to reduce the amount of additional equipment to be carried by law enforcement personnel.